ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
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- ItemMODELLING OF SUITABLE AREAS FOR ESTABLISHING GRAZING RESERVES AND STOCK ROUTES IN ZURU EMIRATE, KEBBI STATE, NIGERIA(2024-11)Recent occurrences in Zuru Emirate have revealed that the struggle for common resources (land) is one of the factors that has resulted into violent conflicts in the area between Fulani herders and local crop farmers. With increasing urbanisation and land use and land cover changes, the identification of adequate and suitable grazing areas is becoming crucial to ensuring the survival of pastoral communities. This research used geospatial techniques and multicriteria decision analysis tools to model suitable areas for siting grazing reserves in Zuru Emirate, Kebbi State. The eleven criteria used to conduct the land suitability analysis for the grazing reserve in Zuru Emirate are land use, land cover, slope, temperature, precipitation, elevation, distance from water, distance from road, distance from settlement, soil organic carbon, soil pH, and soil depth. All the criteria were standardised and weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process AHP in order to produce a land suitability map for the grazing reserve. To assess the reliability of the land suitability map, zonal statistical analysis was used to calculate the mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index NDVI value of each land suitability class. The results of the AHP weighted analysis of the criteria revealed that land use was the most influential criterion with a weight of 0.22 (22%), while soil depth and soil pH had the lowest weight of 0.04 (4%). The results of land suitability mapping for grazing reserves indicated that 0.92% of the study area is least suitable, 83.13% is moderately suitable, 16.48% is suitable, and only 0.46% of the study area is most suitable for siting grazing reserves. This may fit into determining the reliability of a suitability map for vegetation or crop areas. It is recommended that consistent monitoring and revisions of the land suitability map be conducted to allow decision-makers to make informed decisions about sustainable land use planning and management.
- ItemAN APPRAISAL OF COLLABORATION REQUIREMENT FOR THE LAST PLANNER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS(2025-05)The construction industry in Nigeria faces significant challenges related to project delays, cost overruns, and workflow inefficiencies. The Last Planner System (LPS), a lean construction management tool, has proven effective in improving planning reliability and reducing variability through enhanced collaboration among stakeholders. However, the successful implementation of LPS requires a structured, collaborative framework that is often underdeveloped in many Nigerian construction projects. This study examines the collaboration requirements essential for the successful application of LPS in Nigeria‘s construction industry. The study adopted a survey design approach for data collection whereby 140 questionnaires were distributed both online and offline and a total of 70 valid responses were retrieved, the data collected was analyzed using frequency distribution, mean scores, standard deviation and regression analysis. The results show that 83% of the participants agree that the requirements for LPS are achievable in construction projects while about 70%-83% of the respondents indicated that the requirements for team processes are averagely exhibited in construction projects. The research identifies key factors such as stakeholder’s communication, commitment planning, early involvement of subcontractors and regular coordination meetings as critical elements for effective LPS deployment. The Findings highlight the need for a cultural shift towards more integrated team-based planning processes and provide recommendations for fostering collaboration to improve project outcomes in Nigeria’s construction sector. Thus, to implement LPS in construction projects the team processes have to be highly exhibited or more than just averagely exhibited which will thereby lead to more adoption of LPS which will make the Nigerian construction industry to also benefit from its implementation. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on lean construction by providing insights into how LPS can be adapted to unique challenges of the Nigerian context.
- ItemASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT ENABLERS ON ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY FIRMS(2023-08)Construction firms in contemporary times have evolved into structurally standard organisations where there is the understanding of knowledge management enabling factors as an essential management philosophy that drives organisational performance. This study sought to analyse specifically, the influence of knowledge management enablers on organisational performance of construction consultancy firms. Using a quantitative research approach, this research examined the relationship between knowledge management enabling factors and organisational performance in consultancy firms. One hundred and twenty-one (121) construction firms in Nigeria completed the questionnaires used for the research. Mean score was used to identify the knowledge enabling factors and organisational performance dimensions dominant in construction firms while multiple regression analysis was used to assess the influence of knowledge management enablers on organisational performance of construction consultancy firms. The findings from this study revealed that the different knowledge management enabling factors mentioned in this study, after being analyzed for the effectiveness of the construction firm’s performance, have significant positive relationship with one another. The study further revealed that most of the identified knowledge management enabling factors significantly influence (19 0f 31) organisational performance with improved employees’ professional skills being influenced more by six factors followed by financial stability with five factors influencing it. Achieving sustained profit is the least influenced with two factors. The study concluded that consultancy firms practice majority of the KM enabling factors in their organisation with no fewer than Twenty – Eight (28) factors having a weighted mean that is above average score and it was agreed that increasing firm’s reputation in the construction market should be the top priority and starting point for improved performance followed by improving employee’s professional skills. The findings from this study implied that Knowledge management enablers are capable of improving firm’s performance; therefore, consultancy firms should practice it more to reap wide range of benefits that comes from its practice including gaining competitive advantage. Keywords: Knowledge Management, Knowledge Management Enablers, Construction Consultancy Firms, Organisational Performance.
- ItemAN ASSESSMENT OF LIFT SYSTEM PERFORMANCE IN SELECTED HIGH RISE BUILDINGS IN ABUJA CITY(2021-06)The performance of lift systems in high rise buildings is essential for the efficiency of vertical transportation system. However, high rise buildings are often confronted with problems associated with lift system performance such as long waiting time, vibration, door operation, lighting and noise level in lift car during ride. This study assessed the performance of lift system in selected high rise building in Abuja city with the view to enhancing the efficiency of vertical transport system in buildings. The study measures performance parameters such as the Average Waiting Time (AWT), Transit Time (TRT), Time to Destination (TTD), lift car interior sound level, lift car illumination, door operation timing and sound, levelling accuracy and ride quality of lift systems. The study adopted field survey research design, encompassing measurements and a structured checklist for the collection of relevant data on 14 selected high rise buildings and 41 lift systems in the Central Business District (CBD) of Abuja city. Six tools were used to measure the performance parameters of the lift systems within the selected buildings. The performance parameters were evaluated against the standard performance requirements for an ideal lift system. Results from analysis showed that 85.7% of the selected buildings have lift systems with AWT above minimum standard requirement, 64.3% with unsatisfactory interior sound level and 71.4% with poor ride quality. Conversely, 71.4% of these buildings have lift systems with optimum illuminance and 100% with satisfactory lift door operation. Results from the inferential statistics showed significant differences (p<0.05) in the mean value of AWT, TRT, TTD, lift car interior sound level, and lift acceleration. Based on the findings, the selected buildings were considered to have lift systems performing below expected standard. Nonetheless, the study provided data for lift performance parameters for optimizing the service delivery of lift systems within high rise buildings in Nigeria.
- ItemASSESSMENT OF RESIDENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN OUTDOOR RECREATION IN NASSARAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KANO STATE-NIGERIA(2021-12)In spite of the paucity of reliable data on residents‟ participation in outdoor recreation in developing countries when compared to the developed ones, the fact that engaging in outdoor recreation is immensely beneficial cannot be dismissed.The study aimed at assessing the residents‟ participation in outdoor recreation in Nassarawa L.G.A. Kano State with a view to revealing pattern and making appropriate recommendations. The specific objectives are to identify outdoor recreation facilities, examine the socioeconomic characteristics of residents, examine the characteristics of outdoor recreation participation and evaluate the pattern of participation and constraints in Nassarawa L.G.A. Kano state. The data for the study were obtained primarily through field observation and administration of 400 copies of questionnaires. Cluster and systematic random samplingtechniques wereused to administer questionnaire to target respondents. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the data analysis. The result shows that, Nassarawa Local Government, which is a small spatial entity in relationto metropolitan Kano,has 107numbers of outdoor recreational facilities. The residents participate more (88.1%) in outdoor recreation and mostly in the weekends.The common and popular activity participated among non-facility based recreation includes family and friend visits, jogging and walking for pleasure with participation rate exceeding 50%. Among the facility-based recreation activities, football and park visits were found to be dominant with 67.6% and 27.5%,respectively. Outdoor recreation participation in Nassarawa, Kano also follows the general and global pattern of recreational activity participation which assumed that participation diminishes as age advances. Participation tends to be significantly associated with level of education-with low level of participation among those with lower education, high participation among those with average education and low participation among those with higher degrees. The study ascertained that income level of the respondents is not associated with their ability to participate in outdoor recreation in the study area. The perception of outdoor recreation constraints is contextually specific rather than general. Among the 20 different perceived outdoor recreation constraints investigated, the study found „security and personal safety‟ (M=3.24) as the most perceived constraints which was ranked 1st. While, „having physical disability‟ (M=1.92) and „having household member with physical disability‟ (M=1.80) were the least perceived constraints ranked, 19th and 20th, respectively. Non-participants were more likely than participants to feel constrained in thirteen of twenty constraints. The study also established that the perception of constraints varies with age, genders as well as between participants and non-participants. The studystrongly recommendsthat recreation plan should be prepared and implemented, focusing on provision of a wide range of recreation activities and programs opportunities, targeting particularly older age and females. The study concludes that, provision and availability of facilities in a particular geographical setting is really important to participation in outdoor recreation. This is shown in the contrasting pattern observed in Nassarawa from the common position in the global south.